Easy Two Bean Beef Chili is super simple and quick to make, hearty, and loaded with protein. If I had to name a favorite chili, this might just be it!

Happy Monday friends! If it the forecast wasn’t calling for a blizzard, I might have a hard time believing that it is the end of January. Where did January go? Between an especially crazy work month and a family ski trip, January blew by!

Sunday’s big game has me craving chili big time. You can never have too many chili recipes. Chili is so versatile, which is one of the reasons I absolutely love it. If you need proof, you can take a spin through the Bites of Bri chili archives…we’ve got White Chicken Chili,Beef and Bean Chili, and Buffalo Chicken Chili. YUM!

White Chicken Chili is a warm, creamy, comforting soup recipe that has tons of flavor without being overly spicy or rich. This soup is packed with vegetables and protein, making it the perfect lunch or dinner.

How was your weekend? I hope it was great. We finally caught a break and got some nice weather. It was nearly 60 degrees both Saturday and Sunday which made for some outdoor time and sunbathing. Just kidding about the sunbathing part, but it really was so nice and warm. It felt great to get some vitamin D.

I have to admit, I kind of got my hopes up that Spring weather was right around the corner. And while the calendar indicates that the first day of Spring and my birthday(!!!) are just a few weeks away, Mother Nature has other plans for us this week in the form of….more snow(!!!) and another Polar Vortex. Oh boy!

Wait, that’s not how it goes. But that’s how it went this past week when I officially lost my voice. Like, LOST it. For those of you who know me (and have experienced my chatter), this was the most difficult thing for me. I mean, I have so much to say! I went through a bajillion text messages this week, followed by even more scratch pads, and even learned a little sign language. OK, so I improvised on that last part. It was a real challenge, but the good news (or bad news depending on how you look at it) is that my voice is finally coming back! Phew!

For the longest time, I have been leery of refried beans. If you’ve made a trip down the ethnic aisle at the grocery store, you’ve likely experienced what I’m talking about. Being forced to make a decision between lard free or refried beans with lard makes them a little unappetizing. In addition, they make that great suctioned noise when you try to wrestle them out of the can. Yuck! My husband loves refried beans and I’ve been avoiding them forever, but no longer.

After doing some serious research for this Mexican fiesta we are having later this month for someone’s 30th birthday, I found out that you can make them in the slow cooker and that’s exactly what I did. Wow! They babies were so good that I couldn’t stay out of them. They’re fat free and packed with protein. Yum.